Bark - To the future

by Mini Pant Zachariah

He didn't go to a fancy Bschool. But this 26-year old had the smarts to hit upon a unique business idea — and the managerial skill to make it work.

Meet Wasiff Khan, the man who sniffed an opportunity in supplying freshly cooked dog food to pet owners across Mumbai.

"Indians still consider fresh food to be the best. Because dogs have an advanced olfactory sense, the smell of food makes them ecstatic. And owners are happy to see their pets wolf it down," smiles Wasiff.

Called Home-Care, the dog food service has eight smartly turned out delivery boys zipping from Bandra to Colaba in the south and to Andheri in the north, bringing happy tail-wagging sessions to many canines. And just because it's doggy food doesn't mean it's boring.

Priced (per kg) from Rs 40 for beef, Rs 50 for chicken and Rs 60 for mutton, the dabba is a wholesome treat with mixed cereals and meats. For vegetarian homes with dogs, there's veggie tiffin as well.

And if you think your pet's a cut above the rest and worthy of more, Wasiff has a premium range of doggie dabbas too. Actor Hrithik Roshan, film distributor Shravan Shroff and some industrialists prefer this brand, priced at Rs 60, Rs 80 and Rs 120 per kg for their pets.

Supplying dog food was not something Wasiff grew up dreaming about. After graduation, he worked as an event coordinator in Dubai for a year. There was money, but no job satisfaction. So, he returned to Mumbai in 2003 with the nebulous idea of supplying dog food. He reasoned that the doggie dabba should find takers in a city where people were too busy to cook even their own meals.

Much like an MBA, he tested the market first — for 10 days, he gave free sam ples to 35 dog owners and sought feedback. "In the first month after starting, I made a 100 per cent profit on a Rs 5,000 investment. The money was good but I was happier that my idea clicked," he says at his office-cum-kitchen-cum-delivery-centre near Bandra station.

Wasiff 's treats are obviously very popular. "Olly, our six-year-old shi tzu, was a fussy eater. He just wouldn't eat his imported dry dog food. Wasiff suggested I try the fresh dog food. I did, and now there are no problems. It's so convenient to have a fresh dog meal delivered to your doorstep," says Sonali Shroff of Shringar Films.

Actor Ayesha Jhulka, whose 14month-old Labrador Ringo and 12month-old golden retriever Wriggly are both growing well on Wasiff 's diet, agrees. "I introduced the food to my mother's Pomeranian and my friends' pets too," she says.

From one cook-cum-delivery-boy operation conducted from Wasiff 's parents' kitchen at Carter Road, the busi ness has expanded to over 500 packets per day. It would have been bigger but Wasiff says he can't manage alone.

That may change soon. A financier from Delhi has approached Wasiff to franchise his service in the capital.

A typical Wasiff day begins at 6 am, with the food preparation. Sometimes, he comes in at 4.30 am for a surprise check to see that the meat delivered is up to the mark. Then, after dispatching delivery boys between 8.30 and 10 am, Wasiff heads home for a bath and a quick bite.

Like any other 26-year-old, Wasiff 's evenings are spent hanging around parks. But unlike others his age, he only eyes the dogs — their owners, actually. "It's easy because dog owners love talking about their pooches," he laughs. That's when his sales pitch begins. Once the ice is broken, he apprises them about his business. More often than not, a deal is struck.

Coincidentally, Wasiff means ‘one who speaks gently.' Perhaps it isn't a coincidence at all.